10 WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR CHEMICAL LOAD

The modern world is awash with chemicals, with the food industry being no exception. Mass production and the demand for cheap products from all over the world means that finding clean and natural food has become a challenge. Modern farming techniques go to new and unnatural lengths in order to support growing global demand whilst adhering to strict guidelines imposed by supermarkets. The result is produce that has been sprayed, treated and injected with chemicals to make it grow faster, bigger and more enticing.

Production and processing methods further increase the chemical load as manufacturers use artificial means to increase the longevity, and therefore profitability, of products. These preservatives and stabilisers can burden the liver and interfere with physiological processes to slow our energy, dull our skin, cause hormone imbalances and behave destructively towards our cells. Some have eventually been banned over the years, but many remain legal despite evidence that suggests harmful, and sometimes carcinogenic, properties. Furthermore, little is so far known about the interactions between these chemicals when combined in our diets.

As much as possible, we should try to limit the amount of these chemicals that we ingest. By eating fresh, clean and unprocessed food, we can provide our bodies with the natural fuel that they require to perform at full capacity.

Know what’s in your food – the burden of responsibility is on you. For packaged foods, carefully read the ingredient lists; for freshly prepared food, ask questions at the point of sale.

Avoid ingredients that sound like they were made in a laboratory.

Avoid artificial sweeteners – aspartame, sucralose, saccharin etc.

Avoid trans-fats – often labelled as hydrogenated oil.

Avoid artificial preservatives – including MSG and sulphites.

Avoid artificial colours and flavourings – most E numbers.

Eat organic, but not always – eating organic will lower your chemical load and increase the nutrient content of your food. But it’s ok to be selective as not all foods are equally susceptible to pesticide and herbicide absorption. For example, avocados and pineapples are protected by their hard exterior skin, whereas strawberries and spinach have high chemical residues.

Choose organic dairy – antibiotics and synthetic hormones often administered to conventional cows can be passed on through their milk. This won’t be an issue with organic dairy.

At SHOT, we are 100% free from artificial preservatives, flavourings, colourings, sweeteners, emulsifiers, or any other chemicals. We are also entirely free from refined sugars and trans-fats. We use very few processed ingredients: 85% raw, the remaining 15% is minimally processed and in each case we ensure that the food’s nutritional value is not compromised We are organic for all foods on the EWG’s “Dirty Dozen” list, as well as all dairy. Our juices and smoothies are fully organic too. We only use free-range meat that is free from antibiotics, hormones & GMO, and our beef is grass-fed.